Tag: history

The Cult of Wine

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I hosted a wine tasting recently with other wine geek friends and their significant others. However, one of the wine geeks brought her new boyfriend, who knew very little about wine. It was as if she was testing him. Would he be accepting of her lifestyle? Would he convert to being a wine lover too? Another wine lover, after several glasses of wine in him, asked the new boyfriend to share his feelings about what he was experiencing and learning while being surrounded by a bunch of wine encyclopedias commenting about every sip they were taking of the over a dozen bottles we had opened. This was after other wine geeks had shared their personal stories of how they came to love wine so much and for some, work in the industry. Then it suddenly hit me: being a wine lover is like being in a cult.  Continue reading

Bordeaux Off the Beaten Path: Forgotten Grapes, Pirates & Robots

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In addition to visiting some well-established Bordeaux chateaux and going beyond Bordeaux along the Dordogne, I decided to explore less orthodox Bordeaux producers who might be the future of the region: Château Cazebonne & Château Luchey-Halde.   Continue reading

Wine Tourism: Visiting Bordeaux 101

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Here are a few basic tips for amateur wine enthusiasts visiting Bordeaux and a recap of my recent trip there. Highlights include La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion, Sauternes, Carbonnieux and a vertical of Branaire-Ducru.  Continue reading

Wine Tourism in Chile: Tarapacá​​ Region & Chile’s Only Native Wine Grape–Tamarugal

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In previous posts, I’ve argued that Pais is Chile’s true national grape and not Carmenere while Sauvignon Blanc could be Chile’s most internationally marketable grape. However, none of these varieties can claim to be Chile’s only true native wine grape. This title belongs to Tamarugal, which was only recently discovered in 2003 and officially designated uniquely Chilean in 2016. I finally got to taste it last weekend. Continue reading